


Giving Beyond Your Means

by ani_bester



Category: Invaders (Marvel), Marvel, Marvel (Movies)
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-04
Updated: 2012-11-04
Packaged: 2017-11-17 23:18:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/554302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ani_bester/pseuds/ani_bester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve's up to something. Bucky aims to stop whatever it is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Giving Beyond Your Means

It was a cold, gray New York morning, the kind that Bucky preferred to sleep through rather than be out in, but here he was, all the same, braving the December weather all for Steve Rogers. 

The smell of rotting food and unwashed bodies lingered in the air like a blanket of foulness that the poorer streets of New York couldn't shake off. Piled against the decaying buildings sat piles of sludge, the gray and yellow streaks mocking the image of pure white snow that was the mainstay of so main illustrations in magazines no one here could afford. As Bucky trudged along, small bits of half melted snow clung to his shoes, working their wetness through the holes and dampening his socks. Bucky groaned at this new layer of misery as he continued after Steve. 

In front of him, Steve paused. Some sixth sense had tipped Steve off because he glanced behind him and scanned the sidewalks. Bucky leaned against the damp bricks of the building behind him and hid his face behind an old newspaper he'd picked up fro the sidewalk for just such a occasion. He waited, peeking out every now and again, until he saw Steve shrug, reposition his scarf, then head off again with hurried steps. 

As Steve led Bucky deeper into the poor section of the city, Bucky occasionally spotted long kept Christmas decorations adorning windows or doors. But the years had turned the once bright reds and greens to dull, neutral colors that seemed almost to mourn the season rather than celebrate it. Bucky shook his head as he past a sad little tree with a few red and gold balls on its naked branches. One ornament had been broken, probably by some kid trying to prove how tough he was. 

This poor section of the city bore no resemblance to the gay depictions New York during the winter that adorned numerous Christmas Cards that clogged the mail this time of year. 

As though the visual weren't miserable enough, and the wetness weren't annoying enough, a sudden gust of wind kicked up and tried to wrench Bucky's hat from him. Bucky cursed as the wind blew little daggers of ice against his cheeks and nose. He pulled up the collar of his coat to protect the back of his neck, and sore into the wind.

However, he didn't dwell long on his discomfort as the object of his hurried departure darted further ahead. For one heart stopping moment, Bucky thought he'd lost his query, but then he saw Steve, the blond was hard to miss amongst all the gloomier colors. Steve checked both ways of the street, than darted across it and jogged around the corner, clutching something close to his chest.

Bucky glanced around, checking to see if anyone else had noticed a short, frail man, carrying something that might be valuable; however, on this cold wet day, nobody was paying any attention to anything but their own misery. Bucky watched from the other side of the street as Steve made a right turn at the Butcher shop and ducked into the ally, confirming his suspicions. Stepping into the street without looking, Bucky ran as fast as he could to catch up and stop whatever foolish notion had taken hold of Steve now. 

Bucky reached the alley way just in time to see Steve march into the pawn store with great purpose. 

"You softhearted moron," Bucky groaned, as he ran after him..

 

"Steve!" Bucky yelled. He burst through the door, slamming it against the wall and storming inside like a common thug. Steve jumped and whirled around, facing Bucky with wide blue eyes. He'd been holding an item out to the pawn broker and it slipped through his fingers, hitting the hard floor with a metallic clatter. 

"Bucky, What- what are you doing here." Steve kept his eyes on Bucky as he bent to pick up the item he'd dropped. He slipped the whole thing into his hand, hiding it from sight. 

Bucky crossed the dirty store in a few long strides. "Stopping you from pawning this," he declared, grabbing the hand Steve had hidden his item in. 

Steve kept his fist clutched tight, glaring up at Bucky, but then he sighed and his shoulders slumped. After another few seconds, he loosened his hand and a necklace dropped out, landing in Bucky's waiting hand below. 

"Steve," Bucky groaned. "Steve this was your mother's!"

Steve snatched it back, the shock of his initial encounter fading into an irritated scowl. "And it's mine now. What are you doing here, Bucky?"

"The answer hasn't changed Steve." 

The shop owner cleared his throat as though he were going to interject, but Bucky silenced the large man with a glare. The owner cleared his throat again, and scurried off to fix some items that Bucky's entrance had knocked over. 

One opponent down, he squared his shoulders for the harder fight. "You're not selling your mother's necklace, Steven."

Steve rolled his eyes. "First, it's not the only one I have, and it was her least favorite, second, James, you don't actually have a say in this." Steve crossed his arms and looked up at Bucky, jaw set. "And finally, don't you call me Steven."

"Is that so?" Bucky crossed his own arms and shook his head. "Maybe I don't get a say in what you sell, Steven, but I can say I'm not accepting any gifts you buy me with money you get from selling family items." He looked down at Steve, and raised an eyebrow in challenge. 

Steve's return though, caught him off guard. Rather than his cheeks' going red and eyes widening in the look of righteous indignation that Bucky knew by heart, Steve smiled and shook his head. "It's not money for your gift, Buck, so that wouldn't matter."

Bucky stood like lead soldier for a moment as he worked over this new revelation. He'd never thought there'd be someone else and for a moment his stomach tied itself into knots so tight he couldn't find words to say. 

But when Steve reached for the necklace, Bucky broke free from his momentary inaction. Lifting the necklace up out of Steve's reach, he shook his head. 

Steve's face had gone from flushed with irritation to a bright scarlet, and for a moment Bucky felt pang of guilt using his height against Steve like this, but the ends justified the means. 

Continuing to hold the necklace aloof, Bucky put his free arm around Steve's slight shoulders and gave his friend a small squeeze. "If a gal wants a present you can't afford, pal, she ain't worth keeping. Trust me on this one." Bucky glared at Steve. The knots in his stomach had dissolved and released a rush of anger. If some money grubbing dame was taking advantage of Steve, gal or not he'd –

"There's no girl, Bucky." Some of the scarlet faded from Steve's cheeks, and he patted Bucky on the arm. "You honestly think I could be seeing someone and you not know?"

Bucky tilted his head to the side. "Well, I guess the small apartment, and how much we're home, would make you dating hard to hide"

"Also the co-dependency," Steve added with a small smile. 

"That too, yeah ok, I guess you aren't dating." Bucky felt the anger lift from his shoulders and gave Steve back the necklace. "But why pawn it? We're not that hard up, Steve. Not yet."

Steve held the necklace and traced his finger of the glimmering pearl that dangled from the gold chain. "We're not, but 'The Home" is."

Steve shifted his weight from one foot to the other and looked past Bucky in the direction the large orphanage. 

"Everyone got so busy with the war, and they're spending all their money buying war bonds, that the orphanage slipped through the philanthropy cracks this year. I was talking with one of the nurses yesterday, and they haven't got the money to get the kids anything at all for Christmas." Steve looked at the necklace again. "I figured with this money we could get maybe a candy bar a kid, and I know mom would have approved, heck she'd probably pawn it herself."

Bucky nodded, not doubting Steve for one second. Steve's selflessness had to have been learned from someone after all. However, Bucky also saw the trembling on Steve's lip. He reached out and covered the necklace and Steve's hand with his own and held it for a moment.

Then he let it go and gave Steve a thump on the back. "Look… wait- wait here ok, don't pawn anything, or sell anything, or do anything until I get back. Hell, Steve don't move, just stay there on that spot." With that, Bucky dashed back out the door. 

 

Bucky was out of breath and panting when he got back. He entered the store with a great deal less enthusiasm, pushing the door open as though it suddenly weighed as much as small car. 

"Gotta work on the long distance running," Bucky gasped, as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a watch. With a wink to Steve, he walked toward the owner with the gate of a man who would not be dissuaded from his decision. 

"Wait, what are you doing," Steve called out, running to get in front of Bucky and stand between him and the pawn shop owner. Behind them the owner sighed and began tapping his finger against the counter. 

"I'm selling Dad's watch. That way we can probably get more than just a candy bar a kid. Maybe even a toy a kid between what we'll get."

"No!" 

"Ok, now wait, you can sell your things, but what I can't sell mine? Steve, this isn't the good watch, this is just one of the one's dad had that I kept. And it sure ain't the one I got when I turned 10."

Buky could feel Steve searching his expression for any hint of a lie and half expected Steve to demand inspection. Steve's stance softened though, and he moved aside. 

"Sorry," he muttered. 

"Well, "Bucky hung on the word for a second then grinned. "I guess I can forgive you." Bucky watched as the man inspected is watch. "By the way," he said, poking Steve in the back. "Consider this your Christmas present, because, well." Bucky turned a little red. "I'd planned to pawn that for your present."

"So I can't pawn my things to buy you presents, but you can for me?"

"Absolutely," Bucky said with a bright smile. "I need something to balance out my misdeeds, you don't."

Steve smacked Bucky on the shoulder. Then, when the clerk turned to inspect the quality of the pearl in the necklace, Steve slipped his hand into Bucky's and squeezed. It was a small thing but Bucky felt a rush of warmth spread through him and couldn't help smile like a dope until Steve let go. 

"Thank you, Bucky." Steve murmured. "I love it." 

"Merry Christmas, Steve," Bucky whispered, squeezing Steve's hand in return.


End file.
